


A Little Bit Messy

by thoseotherthings



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Babysitting, Dancing, Drabbles, F/M, i'm literally just tagging whatever i can think of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-05-30 19:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6437821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoseotherthings/pseuds/thoseotherthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles that may or may not have anything to do with each other. Primarily Wildehopps, but who knows where this could go?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Muddled (but not really)

She’d been peaceably writing up her case review under the dim light of her desk lamp when the door flew open and mud whipped past her, missing her by a margin. In that second, if she had just turned her head, she would’ve been met with a face full of dirt.

“ _Carrots_.”

His voice was as brown as his body. She was a good twenty feet away from him and was still able to make out the clumps of dull dirt crusted in his usually shiny, red coat.

When he spoke again, Judy had to choke down her giggle. “You didn’t tell me it would be like _this_.” The paw he waved wildly over his front was caked in mud, and she could see little bits and pieces cracking off and falling to the ground.

“You’re making a mess,” Judy piped, sliding from her seat so that she could approach him. 

“I’m doing just great, thanks for asking,” Nick groused, shaking himself like a wet dog. More dirt flew off him, and Judy could no longer contain her laughter.

“What happened?” She asked, despite her suspicion that she knew exactly what had occurred.

“What _happened?_ ” His usually flippant green eyes were narrowed at her, as if daring her to make him recount the ordeal. _“_ The Academy’s Rainforest District training is what happened, Hopps. My application didn’t say anything about eating mud cakes and greeting death face-to-face. Is it too late to resign?”

“ _Nick!_ ” Judy scolded, even though her eyes were twinkling and she was beaming up at him as she continued half-fondly, half-chidingly, “I know you’re not a quitter.”

“Don’t ‘ _Nick’_ me, sweetheart,” he grumbled under his breath. “And clearly you don’t know me as well as you think. I’ve quit a lot of things.”

“Oh?” Her ears fell flat as her gaze became quiet and gentle, awaiting his confession made in vulnerability.

He smirked, tugging on one of her ears. “Sure, Carrots. Smoking, drinking… you know, all those things _delinquents_ do.”

“ _Nick!_ ” She exclaimed again, whacking him in the chest.

“ _Yow!_ ” The cocky look on his face quickly vanished as Nick flinched away from her, rubbing the spot she’d just attacked and looking appalled. “What was that for?”

Her attempt to sound indignant was foiled by her wobbling mouth, which was doing its best not to smile. “Don’t take advantage of my empathy!” 

“ _Ha!_ I’m pretty sure your _empathy_ wasn’t here just a second ago, when I was walking through the door, _straightjacket_ -ed by _mud_.”

“ _Please_ ,” The bunny scoffed, looking at him smugly as she rolled her eyes. “I’ve already gone through all of what you’re doing. It’s not that bad.”

“Oh yeah? You try failing every course and having a fanatical polar bear coach let you know.”

“How _is_ Trish?”

“She has a _name_?”

He’s never failed to make her laugh, and she let him know he’d also succeeded this time by throwing her head back with a peel of laughter. 

Nick was pleased with her delight. She could see it in the way he fought down his own mirth and tried to keep a neutral expression. “Seriously, rabbit. Tell me your secret.”

“Nuh-uh,” Her nose twitched. Before she could see him frown, she turned away, bounding towards the bathroom to prep the shower for him and also grab a broom and dustpan from the closet. “You’ve gotta figure it out on your own.”

“ _Judy_ ,” Nick whined, voice carrying through the hallway.

“You’ll figure it out! You’re a clever fox, after all.” Her voice was filled with affection as she peered at him. Her partner had just tugged his shirt off and was making quick work of unzipping his fly. He hurried past her and straight into the bathroom, which released a cloud of steam as he opened the door before shutting it securely.

Just a second later, she heard him singing to himself, clearly not as bothered as he’d made out to be. Smiling softly to nobody in particular, she turned to leave, only to yelp as his paw shot out from a crack in the door and grabbed her. 

“Thanks, Carrots.” His snout was the only thing poking through the crack, and his nose was shiny with condensation.

“For…?”

The opening widened just enough so that he could look at her. He’d lost his usually smarmy, half-lidded gaze, looking at her with so much innocence. There was absolutely no pretense in his verdant eyes. “For believing in me.” 

The way he said it was as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Judy could only blink owlishly at him.

Her stupefaction seemed to amuse him because his face melted back into its traditional hooded stare and crooked smile. Nick didn’t wait for her to react, just stooped down so he could look her in her bewildered eyes and kiss her on the nose.

“You know I love you.” Then he closed the door in her face. 

Judy was left to mull over his words, settling into the warmth that they lit inside her chest. Right now, she could choose to worry– worry for their future or worry about their individual pasts– but no, she’d rather not let anxiety eat away at her present joy. She waved away the uncertainties of their lives because she knew they would tackle those together.

Instead, she smiled at the door as Nick picked up singing where he’d left off. “Yes,” She murmured. “Yes, I do know. And I love you, too.”

He certainly hadn’t heard her admission, but she’d have a lot of time in the future to let him know.


	2. Naturals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re really good at babysitting. Like, really good.

“Nick, you can’t give that to her!”

“And why the hell not, rabbit?”

“Her teeth will _break_! And don’t say that _word_ in front of her!”

“What word? ‘Rabbit’? That _is_ a pretty bad word.” He bared his teeth in a wide smile, basking in his jack-assery. Nick cradled the shrewlet closer to his chest, cooing at the tiny thing when it squirmed. “And her teeth won’t break. Will they, Judy? You’re a strong little shrew, aren’t you? _Yes you are!_ ” 

“I have _never_ heard you make that sound before,” Judy narrowed her eyes at him when he baby-talked in a sickeningly-sweet way. Her partner-in-crime was staring, transfixed by the snoozing animal, while his finger tickled delicately at the underside of the baby’s chin. The carrot he’d been trying to tempt baby Judy with earlier was now in his lap, forgotten and wilting.

Fru Fru’s daughter woke with a start and began to wail; Nick sat up, back straight as a board as his green eyes shot to Judy, who wanted to smirk at him but could only manage a soft grin as the fox passed the bundle of cloth to her. Judy took a seat beside Nick on the couch, resting her side against his. They breathed in tandem– slow, cautious breaths, as if even the slightest sharp movement would further discomfort the child.

As Judy rocked her entire body to ease the shrewlet, she sang a soft lullaby. Nick offered up various toys that were littered across the ground. When the floor was spotless– and the couch piled high with stuffed animals and toy blocks and trucks/airplanes/ships galore– he settled restlessly back into his spot beside Judy, foot shaking anxiously. The bunny’s god-daughter was once again sound asleep.

Nick craned his neck forward, watching baby Judy over “elder” Judy’s shoulder. “You think she’s hungry?”

“We fed her 30 minutes ago,” Judy replied shortly, returning to her song immediately. 

“Maybe she needs her diaper changed." 

“She smells fine.”

“Or maybe she’s _bored_?”

“I can’t see why she would be.”

“Is it time for her bath?”

Finally, Judy glared at her best friend. “ _Nick_. You’ll spoil her. She’s doing just fine.”

“I can’t help it,” he smiled mischievously at Judy, then turned to look at the baby, eyes growing soft and gooey. “She deserves to be spoiled.”

For the next 30 minutes, they passed Fru Fru’s daughter back and forth. Judy sang under her breath for her turns while Nick spun long, far-fetched tales of his adventures. 

In the middle of detailing how he’d just one-upped the biggest man in the gang, his face twisted and his ears flattened. When he lifted his head to look at Judy instead of her god-daughter, Judy laughed hysterically at the look on his mug, beginning to snort halfway through and consequently waking the shrewlet up. 

“C’mon, give her here.” Judy took the bundle, holding her carefully in her paws. Honestly, Fru Fru had wrapped the child up in such a way that most of the mass was blanket, because usually the child fit in the palm of Nick’s and Judy’s hands with plenty of room to spare. Anyhow, they both scampered to the baby’s bathroom, where Judy proceeded to clean up the mess her god-daughter had made, finishing the process by meticulously folding the diaper with just her nails. 

“God, Carrots. That smells _rank_. And it’s not even, what, an eighth an ounce of sh–”

“ _Shhhhh_ ,” Carrots warned, shooting Nick a scowl. 

“Oh, c’mon, it’s not like she knows what I’m saying. And let’s be honest, I’m not the only one wondering what the Bigs are feeding her.”

“Only the best of the best,” Judy laughed. Nick smiled down at the bunny before sneezing at the baby powder flying in the air. He pawed at the dust, trying to wave away the offending substance. The baby sneezed a tiny sneeze of her own, and Nick couldn’t help the _aaaaw!_ that squeezed its way out of his throat. Judy giggled, nudging him with her elbow before leading the way back down. 

At the foot of the stairs, she handed him the baby, bouncing to the Blu-Ray player and sticking in a disc of “The Piggles.” Nick sat lightly into the same couch as before, hoping he wouldn’t have to dance this time. Judging by the evil gleam in Judy’s eye, he was hoping in vain.

———

Fru Fru shut the door softly, her heart fluttering at the happy gurgling of her daughter. When she entered the living room to check on Judy junior, she had to carefully untangle the shrewlet from Judy’s arms.

The grown shrew smiled at the image in front of her. Judy was asleep against Nick, who was also snoring lightly, head propped up by his hand, which was propped up on the arm rest of the couch. His mouth was hanging open while his other arm was wrapped around Judy’s waist, paw loose and open and inviting. Their faces were illuminated by the dancing Piggles and their technicolor background.

Judy junior shrieked.

“ _CARROTS GET UP SHE’S GONE SHE’S BEEN KIDNAPPED SHE’S_ –” 

Judy had been tossed from his side and to the floor in his panic. While she rubbed her head and tried to get a bearing on her surroundings, Nick blinked owlishly at Fru Fru, who was practically screaming with laughter. The baby was laughing along the way a baby does (which is to mean, with absolutely no idea what’s going on).

His breathing slowed down, and he tried to regain his composure. “She’s ok. She’s fine.” Nick smoothed down the neck at his fur, trying to distract from the red on his face. “False alarm, Carrots.”

Judy glowered at her best friend, mumbling under her breath as she picked herself up off the floor and dusted her knees with the backs of her paws. 

“You two are just the cutest couple on earth!” Fru Fru squeaked, tapping away at her phone but somehow also looking at the cops while she did it.

“Couple?” The shrew’s friends replied simultaneously, both laughing nervously and uncomfortably.

“Well, sure!” Switching her baby to one arm, the arctic shrew held her phone aloft to show whatever picture she had scrolled to.

And lo and behold, the image displayed was a freeze-frame of the two of them from just minutes ago, asleep and curled into each other.

Nick spluttered. “No– that’s not– we’re just–”

“Friends!” Judy was equally as flustered.

“Hm, reds not your color, Judy,” Fru Fru replied nonchalantly, returning to whatever text she’d been occupied with earlier. The comment made Judy burn even brighter. “Anyways, you two can deny it all you want, but I can tell you’d make good parents. _Especially_ together.”

The fox was practically swallowing his tongue. “ _What?_ ”

“Oh yes,” Fru Fru answered shrewdly. “I’ve got video cameras in every room, and they feed live video to my phone! I was checking up on you two through the night! But I didn’t need to, because you guys are just the perfect parents. It’s so… _natural_. It just feels so right, ya know?”

The two of them didn’t even try to argue. They just stood with their mouths agape.

“I say, go and have kits of your own! Screw what the tabloids will say! Screw the general population! You two would be great. Anyways, Hugo will be back in a few minutes, so you guys can go. Thanks for doing this for me!”

Judy could barely get out her, “no problem,” as she practically fled from the room to her car. Nick followed suit, only to stick his head back into the room from behind the door. Fru Fru looked at him expectantly.

“ _Nick!_ ” Judy hollered from afar. His ears perked as he glanced quickly behind him. 

Then the clever fox turned back to her and took out his phone, pointing at the device and then at Fru Fru. He made “snapshot” gestures in the air followed by frantic pointing at himself, then again at the mother. Clearly, he wanted her to send him the picture she’d just shown them. Fru Fru nodded her head to show she had understood the fox, smiling at him all the while. 

Nick beamed back, shooting her a thumbs up before promptly disappearing. There was a distant rev of an engine, which faded away into the night. 

The arctic shrew would have to get back to Clawhauser about that betting pool. She had the feeling now would be a good time to raise her stakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the anon who requested a fic with this prompt! 
> 
> Un-beta’d, barely edited, might make corrections as I go along. Hope you guys enjoyed, and as always, leave a review if you had fun reading this fic!! :”))


	3. Lamplight

Priscilla had just finished asking (in a record time of 45 minutes) if he’d seen everybody’s favorite pair of cops recently. She’d managed to detail the last time she’d seen them herself and also inquire about whether or not Flash had happened upon them and how they were doing if he had.

“They’re…”

The popular duo had been buddy buddy at that one speeding incident (which he’d sped away from with just a warning and a chastising from Judy). But he’d seen them after that, too. About a month after.

Not that they had known. They’d been too engrossed in each other, and it had been night time with no passersby. The only reason Flash had recognized them was because the flickering street lamp, yellow and dim and rather pitiful in all honesty, had bared their very distinct silhouettes. After all, how often did one see a lanky fox with his tail wrapped around a tiny bunny, an umbrella in one hand and takeout in the other while he stooped to kiss her, presumably?

Flash could come clean. He could say, “oh, I think they’re dating,” which would take a good 7 minutes to spit out. He could summarize the scene he’d witnessed, which would cover their entire evening. Buuuutttt… he could also narrate each detail, from the way the rain had been coming down rather harshly and the neon “open” sign of the shabby little restaurant had flickered pathetically, to the fact that they’d still done a cute little dance, Nick sacrificing his dryness to spin Judy out with the umbrella held safely over her ears and then catching her when she twirled back into his arms, her laughing giddily. And then he’d draped his tail around her and pulled her tightly into him, whispering something into her ear that made Judy smack him. But she was grinning, Flash could tell by the silhouette of the curve of her cheek. And then they’d kissed.

But explaining all that would take a good few days. So the sloth settled for smiling slowly at Priscilla while he drawled out his finishing word.

“Well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drabble based off a fic request I got on my tumblr. :”) Hope you guys enjoyed!


	4. Cutting Rugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Hali!! :D

"It's _four_ steps, Nick."

"That's what I'm doing, Carrots. One… two… three…four. _See?_ "

"I see six steps, is what I see."

"Clearly the Mammal upstairs had to compensate for your ears in some way."

She wanted to scowl at his wisecrack, but the smile she was fighting to hide peeked out from behind the curtain of her disapproving glare. Nick noticed, smirking slowly at her as she uncrossed her arms, huffed, and took his paws back into her's. His lopsided grin tilted into a genuine one, and he wriggled his fingers in her light grip.

"I think I've finally found something you're bad at," Judy joked, swinging their arms a bit before beginning to move.

"Unfortunately, you're wrong," Nick answered matter-of-factly, staring at her feet as Judy showed him the motions again. "Or fortunately, depending on which side of this relationship you're standing on. I tend towards hating when you're right. But I digress– I happen to be _extremely_ good at dancing, Carrots. I'm a regular Fred Asbear. Salsa, mamba, waltz–"

"Asbear could swing, Nick. Plus, this is just the first step! You do realize I can't teach you anything else until you get this?"

"– _fox_ trot, of course–"

"Did you _really_ just–"

"–even square-dancing–"

"You can _square_ dance but you can't _swing?_ "

"That's irrelevant."

"What… what are you… _what?_ "

Nick pressed a paw to Judy's muzzle and shook his head with theatrical gravitas, as if they were caught in a life-or-death situation and her silence was the determining factor. "Less talking, more dancing, fluff-butt. I've got an undercover case to prepare for."

Rolling her eyes, she stepped away from him. "Alright. Show me what you were doing again."

With false bravado, Nick jauntily imitated whatever it was he'd been watching Judy do for the past hour. "There," he took a bow. "Perfect."

"You're adding an extra step on the third and fourth beat. Which is a common mistake!" She added hastily, like Nick needed the comfort of knowing he wasn't a solo screw-up. "It's the weird pause. Just shift your weight through your body instead of trying to balance it out with the other foot."

"Like this?" He attempted a poor parody of whatever "fancy" footwork Judy had displayed.

Judy swallowed her frustrated sigh, holding a paw up in the air to stop Nick. " _Nooo_. Like _this_." She performed the sequence, looking expectantly at Nick when she was done. He shrugged, so she repeated herself. This happened a total of four times before she was standing right in front of Nick with knit brows.

"Nick, it's not that hard, c'mon, just– _wu-oAH!_ " Judy stumbled as Nick grabbed her hands and pulled her forward. She fell into step with him as he perfectly executed the rocking motion, then segued alarmingly smoothly through several different moves from the swing and various other ballroom dances.

As the lively beat– which had been blaring tinnily through the pathetic excuse for a sound system the ZPD had tossed at them (apparently being the best two detectives on the force still didn't merit the better equipment. Or maybe it was just Nick's history with abusing the volume)– came to an end, he pulled her into a dip (of the merengue variety), beaming at her as her ears brushed the ground and their chests rose and fell in tandem.

"You knew this entire time!" Judy panted, eyes bright with energy. "Sneaky little…" She didn't bother finishing her sentence, just smiled widely up at him before pressing a quick, unexpected kiss to his mouth.

When she pulled away, Nick followed after her, craning his neck to keep up the kiss. Judy laughed, but her amusement was cut short when Nick pulled her up from the dip, paws sliding eagerly from her side to the bottom of her thighs, tugging gently.

She got the hint and thought that she really shouldn't take it. But somehow, Judy still found her upper thighs squeezing Nick's sides as she crossed her ankles behind him. "Nick, we can't, I'm supposed to be bringing you up to speed on the dances you'll have to know–"

"Oh, _we_ _'_ _ll be dancing_. Takes two to tango, right? And I happen to be _very_ good at the tango." He grinned at her, half-lidded gaze warm and inviting while his eyebrows wriggled suggestively.

Judy stared at him, fingers clasped behind his neck. They really shouldn't. They were technically working. This wasn't a good time. There wasn't even anywhere convenient _to_ engage in–

"Plus, that closet across the hall is pretty roomy. Scoped it out before you got here." He pressed the pad of his paw into the small of her back, forcing her closer to him so that he could nudge her ears with his muzzle, and she practically melted to the floor.

Judy buried her face into the ruff of fur on his chest, breathing in familiarity and comfort. "You just have all the right moves, don't you, Wilde?" She chided fondly, voice muffled.

"Oh, Carrots," Nick answered, equally as affectionate as he spun on his heel in the direction of the closet. "Only cause I've got a good partner."

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: Ta-da! I have too many tiny head canons despite the fact that I’m working on two lengthy fics. I don’t have enough inspiration to just punch those two fics out, so I thought it’d be a good idea to keep writing ANYTHING, as long as I was writing. Thus, this compilation was born.
> 
> It’ll be a variety of drabbles/short stories, whatever you wanna call them. Some of them might be related, some of them won’t be at all. Some may be AU, etc. etc. etc. Honestly, this is just a jumble of everything. I’ll be sure to label everything appropriately!
> 
> This collection is subject to update whenever I want! Thanks for reading! Leave a review! They seriously keep me motivated. :”D


End file.
